The Haunted Stroll

by J A Whiting

  Paths at the back of Jeff’s house led through the peaceful fields down to the wide beach and the ocean.

  “Aren’t you going to miss this place when you move into Lin’s cottage?” John asked. “Are you sure you want to put the house on the market?”

  John, Viv, and Lin, along with Nicky and Queenie sat in the cozy, candlelit dining area of Jeff’s house eating dinner while snow fell gently outside the windows.

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought. I’ve enjoyed living here, but it’s time for a change. I’m looking forward to being closer to town.” Jeff gave Lin a bright smile. “And living with my wife.”

  “There’s room to expand on my cottage’s second floor,” Lin pointed out.

  “And expanding her cottage won’t cost as much as it would if Lin moved in here and we expanded out towards the back,” Jeff said. “It’s the right decision for us.”

  John nodded. “I just want you to be sure before we put the place on the market and you get an offer. A lot of people like the seclusion of Tom Nevers. I don’t think it will take long to sell.”

  “What about you and Viv?” Lin asked. “Have you two made a decision about the boat?”

  “We’re keeping it. John will move into my house, but we’ll spend a lot of time on the boat,” Viv said.

  “I told Viv I’d sell it, but she won’t let me.” John mock pouted.

  Viv smiled as she rolled her eyes. “Can you imagine him without his boat? He’d wither and die within a week.”

  Lin and Jeff chuckled and Queenie let out a meow of agreement.

  “I guess she knows you too well,” Lin said as she passed the platter of grilled vegetables to John.

  “We need to agree on a wedding date,” John said. “By the time we make a decision, all the venues will be reserved.”

  “What about early June?” Lin asked. “The weather will be nice then and the tourist season won’t be in full force yet.”

  “Or the middle of September?” Jeff asked. “For the same reasons, nice weather and less tourists.”

  “I’d vote for September,” Viv told the group. “In June, Lin will be working hard getting people’s yards and gardens established and the bookstore-café starts to get crazy. If we wait until September, our businesses will be humming along and things will be slowing down a little. It will give us more time to plan, too.”

  A date in the middle of September was agreed on and then the foursome discussed where the event should be held and how many people should be invited.

  “What if each couple invites fifty to sixty people?” Viv suggested. “That way we’ll keep the guest list at just over a hundred.”

  “I’m happy with that,” Lin said. “The smaller, the better. Just our families and closest friends.”

  “What about having it at the boat club?” John asked. “There’s the nice dining room that opens to the deck and the patio overlooking the water. If it rains or it’s too hot, we’ll have the inside and if it’s a beautiful day, the guests can be out on the deck or in the gardens.”

  “Perfect,” Lin said and the others agreed.

  “I’ll go by the office tomorrow to ask if the date is available,” John told them.

  With a wide smile, Viv said, “This is going to be fun. Now, I can’t wait for September to come.”

  When the dishes were cleared, Jeff made a fire and they all sat down on the sofas with cups of tea and slices of chocolate-hazelnut tart with dollops of whipped cream, and eventually the conversation turned to the painting of Captain Samuel Baker hanging in Robert Snow’s gallery.

  “We’ve talked to the two most recent owners of the mansion,” Viv said before lifting a forkful of the delicious tart to her mouth. “And they both report similar experiences with the sea captain’s ghost.”

  “The interactions started out with the ghost being hostile towards the families,” Lin explained. “The Mastersons even called on Lilianna and Libby to help them deal with the issues.”

  Viv told the men about some of the things the ghost did like throwing things, making loud noises, and creating a threatening, intimidating atmosphere in the house.

  “The Mastersons were ready to sell the place after living there for only a few weeks,” Lin said.

  “I would have run, not walked from that place,” John said with a look of horror on his face. It had only been a short time since he’d learned that Lin, and sometimes Viv, could see ghosts, and he’d not yet become accustomed to the unusual idea.

  “Things turned around though,” Viv said. “After a while, the ghost accepted the new owners and was even protective of them.”

  Lin told Jeff and John about the times Captain Baker’s ghost kept the Mastersons’ son from being hit by a car and prevented the family from a crash with a tractor-trailer truck.

  “It seems the ghost really cared for that family,” Jeff pointed out. “When the Mastersons moved out of the house, the spirit must have been angry they were leaving him.”

  “The Mastersons invited the ghost to go with them to their new home, but the captain didn’t accept the offer,” Lin said. “He must be tied to the mansion because he and his son were murdered there.”

  “So the ghost took out his anger on the Snows who bought the Tangerine Street house?” Jeff questioned.

  “He did,” Viv said. “The Snows had to learn to deal with the ghost and eventually, he came around to them.”

  “It’s a wild story,” John said with a groan as he moved around uncomfortably in his seat. “I just can’t wrap my head around this stuff.”

  “You’ll get used to it in time,” Lin encouraged. “I still don’t understand it.”

  John looked wild-eyed at Lin. “If you don’t understand it, how will I ever be able to deal with it?”

  “Don’t worry,” Viv said reassuringly. “After a while, it becomes part of your everyday life. There are a lot of things in the world I don’t understand … like what’s twenty-twenty vision actually mean, what the heck are bitcoins, how does the internet really work? And you know what? I don’t have to understand those things. I just accept them. It’s the same thing with ghosts.”

  A smile spread over Jeff’s face and he joked, “That’s the best explanation of acceptance I’ve ever heard.”

  Nicky woofed and wagged his little tail.

  “Remind me to never set foot in Mr. Snow’s gallery.” With a shake of his head, John downed the tea in his mug. “Did this ghost become protective of the Snows like he did with the Mastersons?”

  Lin exchanged a look with Viv. “I don’t know. The Snows didn’t mention anything like that. Captain Baker stopped harassing them and became peaceful.”

  “Well, at least that’s something, I suppose.” John’s face had paled slightly.

  Lin’s mind began to race, thinking about the Snows and the ghost and the relationship they had with one another. Had the ghost ever protected them from anything? She made a mental note to ask Robert Snow about that.

  “What does this ghost want from you anyway?” John asked Lin bringing her out of her thoughts.

  “I’ve been trying to figure that out,” Lin said, her head cocking slightly to the side. “It isn’t clear what he wants me to do for him.”

  “Why don’t the spirits communicate better?” John asked. “Why not speak? Or write something down instead of being so secretive and mysterious? It must be so frustrating.”

  “I’ve been saying the very same thing for over a year,” Viv said.

  Lin gave a shrug. “It just doesn’t work that way.”

  “Did anyone see the article on Robert Snow and his gallery in the Nantucket Sun?” Jeff asked. The Sun was a monthly magazine published on the island.

  “No. He’s featured in it this month?” Lin asked.

  “There’s a nice write-up,” Jeff said. “The story highlights the gallery and tells how different artwork will be featured for sale every day during the Holiday Stroll. It also mentions the painting of Captain Baker.”

 
“Really? Do you have a copy?” Lin didn’t know why a shiver of nervousness ran over her skin.

  Jeff got up to get the magazine from the desk and he brought it over to his fiancée.

  Lin leafed through the pages until she found the article and turned it so the others could see. “There’s a photo of the captain’s painting with Robert standing next to it.” Setting the magazine on her lap to read the article, her attention was drawn to the photograph showing Captain Baker’s portrait.

  The captain’s eyes bored into hers and she was filled with the sensation that the man urgently needed something from her.

  She just had no idea what it was.

  9

  Lin and Leonard worked side by side shoveling snow from the wide walkway in front of the huge gray mansion on the outskirts of town. Lin had already cleared the driveway with the plow on the front of the truck while Leonard worked on the walkways at the back of the house.

  “The article in the Sun magazine profiled Robert and his gallery.” Lin tossed a shovelful of snow to the side. “A photo of the captain’s painting accompanied the story. When I looked at it, I felt the pull. It’s like the captain desperately needs me to do something. But I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do.”

  The two took a break and leaned on their shovels.

  “This case is different,” Lin told her partner. “The ghost hasn’t appeared to me. I only feel the pulling at me from the painting. Come to think of it, no one has actually seen the ghost in the house. Not the Snows and not the family who lived there before them. They sense him in the room, a rocking chair rocks a little when the ghost stands up, a door that’s securely latched opens, a book gets moved to a different place. Things like that.”

  “The captain has lived in that house for a long time,” Leonard said. “The son who was murdered at the same time as the captain is never seen or felt?”

  “No one has mentioned the son.”

  “Why does Captain Baker stay? Why doesn’t he cross over to be with his family?”

  “I don’t have a clue.” Lin wiped a snowflake from her eyelash. “The article in the magazine reported that the captain’s painting was not for sale and was in Robert’s personal collection. The story quoted Robert explaining who Captain Baker was and when he lived. I want to ask Robert how he acquired the painting. What is its history? Maybe that information will help me understand what the captain wants from me.”

  “Good idea. The Snows’ house and gallery is next on our snow removal list. Maybe he’ll be there. You can pop in and ask him about the painting.”

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll talk to Robert about it when we get there.” Lin nodded. “I have a strange feeling I’m running out of time to figure this thing out. I don’t want to fail Captain Baker.”

  “Don’t put pressure on yourself, Coffin. That won’t help. It will block what’s floating on the air.”

  Lin looked at Leonard with narrowed eyes. “Is Marguerite in the house?”

  Leonard scuffed his boot on the blade of the shovel. “She’s there.”

  “Has she disappeared for a while again since that first time? Has she gone somewhere for a day or two and come back?”

  “Yeah.” Leonard’s voice was soft.

  “Do you know where she went?”

  “No idea.”

  “What’s she like when she comes back?” Lin questioned.

  “The same as always.”

  “Do you ask her where she goes?”

  Leonard looked off across the snow-covered yard. “No. I ask if she’s okay. She indicates she’s fine.”

  “How do you act when she returns?’ Lin asked.

  Leonard turned to face Lin. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you greet her cheerfully? Do you act sullen? Are you indifferent? Do you acknowledge her absence?”

  Leonard started to shovel the walk. “Why the third degree?”

  “It’s not the third degree. It’s conversation. I’m interested in what’s going on.”

  Leonard stopped clearing the walkway. “How should I respond when Marguerite comes back?”

  “I don’t have the answers.” Lin sighed and ran her gloved hand over her cheek. “How do you feel when Marguerite leaves and comes back?”

  Leonard scrunched up his face. “I feel abandoned, anxious. I think what if she doesn’t come back? I worry. I’m on edge.”

  “And when she returns?” Lin asked.

  Inhaling a full, deep breath, Leonard said, “The first moment I see her, I’m happy.”

  “But?”

  “But then I get resentful. Why did she leave me? Why did she make me worry?”

  “Does she notice your mood?”

  “She always knows how I’m feeling from a simple glance,” Leonard admitted, his broad shoulders drooping a little. “I don’t want to act that way, but I can’t help it.”

  “How does Marguerite respond?”

  “She’s pleasant. She ignores my mood.”

  “Do you talk to her like you always do?” Lin asked.

  “Eventually, yeah.” Leonard yanked the zipper up on his coat. “Are you trying to make me feel bad, Coffin?”

  “No.” Lin touched her partner’s arm. “I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.”

  “I think we both know what’s going on.” Leonard removed his hat and shook the snow off of it. “Marguerite’s going to leave me.”

  “I think she’s trying to do what she thinks is best for you,” Lin said gently.

  “She should ask me what’s best for me.” Leonard’s gaze was pinned on the ground.

  “She can’t ask you, Leonard. She can’t speak to you. And anyway, do you know what the best thing is? Really?”

  The tall man lifted his shovel to continue with the clearing. “Let’s get these walkways done so we can get to the Snows.”

  Lin stood helplessly watching her partner shovel the snow with a little bit too much vigor. “If you want me to come over and try to communicate with Marguerite, just let me know.”

  Leonard grunted.

  When they arrived at the Snows’ house, Lin used the plow on the driveway and the small parking area, thankful no cars were parked there so she could easily move the wintry precipitation.

  Once the plowing was finished, she grabbed her shovel and started in on the sidewalk that led to the gallery.

  Why is it snowing so much already? Lin silently grumped. It’s going to be a long winter. Heck, it’s still technically fall.

  The sun was low in the sky and in an hour, darkness would descend over the island. The air felt colder than it had earlier in the day and a biting breeze had kicked up.

  The warm, inviting glow of the gallery’s interior lights spilled out onto the snow and made Lin want to go inside to visit with Robert and drink some hot cocoa.

  Lifting her eyes from her task to look in through the windows, Lin stopped working and stood stock still. Captain Baker’s portrait hung on the cream-colored wall directly across from her. The man’s mesmerizing eyes seemed to bore into hers and she no longer noticed the sting of the cold air against her skin. Lulled into an almost dreamlike state, Lin experienced a feeling of being cared-for and protected, but the perception of safety didn’t last long. In an instant, an overwhelming anxiety washed over her like a tidal wave making it difficult for her to breathe.

  Her heart racing, Lin had the sudden urge to duck and run, but her feet were concrete blocks that wouldn’t budge from the spot. A scream formed deep in her throat, but it stuck there and couldn’t escape. Try as she might, she was unable to pull her gaze from the portrait.

  What’s happening? What do you want me to do?

  “Coffin?” Leonard came up from behind.

  With a gasp, Lin’s consciousness snapped back to reality.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Leonard gave her a look. “You okay?”

  “I….” Lin blinked fast several times trying to collect herself. “I was looking in at the paintings.”

  Le
onard took a few steps closer. “And what? Went into a trance? I called to you three times.” Taking a glance through the window, the man raised an eyebrow when he spotted Captain Baker’s portrait. “Oh.” Looking at Lin, he asked, “He put a spell on you or something?”

  “Maybe.” Lin sucked in a deep breath and the icy air caused her to cough. “Why did you call to me?”

  “Because you were just standing there frozen in place. I figured you were slacking off.” Leonard gave his partner the eye.

  A half-smile turned up the corners of Lin’s mouth. “I was trying to think of a way to sneak into the gallery so Robert would make me some hot cocoa and I could leave the rest of the work to you.”

  “Nice try.” Leonard handed Lin her shovel. “Just so you know … I will notice if you make an attempt to leave me out here alone.”

  Lin chuckled.

  Leonard headed to the sidewalk that led to the driveway. “And stop looking in the windows at that painting. Tell Captain Baker you’ve got work to do.”

  When Lin had completed clearing the path from the house to the street, she stood straight and stretched her back muscles, thinking about the nice hot bath she’d take once she got home.

  A whoosh of freezing cold air enveloped her and made her shiver. Lin knew the drop in temperature had nothing to do with the weather.

  She slowly turned around, knowing that someone had come to see her.

  About thirty feet from her stood the glimmering forms of her early eighteenth-century ancestors, Sebastian Coffin and Emily Witchard Coffin.

  The surprise of seeing them caused a little gasp to slip from Lin’s throat and her hand reflexively moved to her horseshoe necklace resting on her collarbone buried under the layers of her heavy sweater and winter coat.

  The young woman and the two ghosts silently stared at each for several minutes, and then something invisible moved the atoms of the air between them, and words formed in Lin’s mind.

  Listen for the click.

  “For Pete’s sake, Coffin.” Leonard’s voice came from the end of the driveway. “Why are you just standing there again?”